Is Yosemite crowded during Thanksgiving?

November only accounts for 4% of the annual visitors or around 160,000 people. Plus Thanksgiving is on the 24th in late November when it's even quieter. All this means that visitors during Thanksgiving to Yosemite get to enjoy almost the closest thing to the park to themselves.



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Yosemite National Park sees its absolute peak crowds during July and August. You will need to book lodging – including campgrounds – and any guides, activities or tours well in advance.

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Top Travel Recommendations
  1. Arrive early and stay late, and visit Yosemite during the week instead of on weekends. ...
  2. Ride a YARTS bus to enter the park.
  3. If you drive, park your car for the duration of your stay. ...
  4. Free shuttles can help you get around Yosemite Valley, but they will be full on busy days.


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Visit midweek, rather than on the weekend. Even beyond the standard weekend crowding, Saturdays and holiday weekends are “particularly busy,” according to Yosemite's website. In a reply to a Facebook comment from July 6, Yosemite wrote: “It is much quieter on weekdays — especially during the middle of the week.”

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How Many Days Should You Spend in Yosemite? For the best experience, plan on spending three days in Yosemite, especially if you like hiking. Three days gives you enough time to hike a few trails, explore Yosemite Valley, drive Tioga Road to Olmsted Point, and visit Glacier Point and Taft Point.

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Thanksgiving travel by road Drivers should leave home in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest traffic, INRIX said. On Sunday, Nov. 26, the worst traffic is forecast to be between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The best time to hit the road will be before noon, according to INRIX.

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While all but the last two of the waterfalls listed below are in Yosemite Valley, both Yosemite Valley and many other areas of the park have waterfalls both big and small. Flows: approximately November through July, with peak flow in May.

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Avoid Yellowstone in July and August if crowds and heat are not your game. Yosemite National Park sees its absolute peak crowds during July and August. You will need to book lodging – including campgrounds – and any guides, activities or tours well in advance. These are also the hottest months to visit the park.

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A 3 day Yosemite itinerary allows for enough time to experience the best of Yosemite Valley, as well as some of the other areas of the Park, like Tuolumne Meadows, Tioga Road, or Wawona. However, it is possible to experience a taste of what this amazing Park has to offer, even if you only have 1 or 2 days.

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The winner: The opportunities for wilderness adventure in Yellowstone are many, but Yosemite has it all, from gentle trails along the floor of the valley to spine-tingling ascents of its rock faces. Plus, Yosemite remains open to many activities through the winter, while Yellowstone goes into bear-like hibernation.

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Make sure you know before you go. In national parks where grizzlies live, such as Glacier or Grand Teton, rangers encourage you to carry bear spray. In others, such as Yosemite, where only black bears live, bear spray is not even permitted.

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Historically, June, July and August are the busiest months at Yosemite. That said, here are a few factors that make even the most touristy season approachable and appealing. Many people visit Yosemite just for the day, driving Tioga road to see the spectacular views.

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Go for a Nighttime Nature Walk in Yosemite National Park A couple of popular nature walks include a visit to Lower Yosemite Falls or Bridalveil Fall (scheduled to reopen to the public in 2022). For those who enjoy more structure, Yosemite Conservancy also offers an easy 1-2 mile round trip nature walk at sunset.

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